2000 Winners

The winners of the 2000 E3
Game Critics Awards were as follows:

Best
of Show:

Black & White

(Lionhead Studios/Electronic Arts for PC)

When the Game Critics
Awards began four years ago, Peter Molyneux had just departed from Bullfrog to
found Lionhead Studios and begin work on a game called Black & White. Four
years later, Black & White concludes its E3 presentations as the Best of the
Show. With its amazing graphics and diverging storyline based on how good or
evil the player manages to be, Black & White is destined to be one of the
classics.- Aaron John Loeb
Chairman, Game Critics Awards

Runner Up:Jet Grind Radio (Sega for Dreamcast)

Best
Original Game:

Black & White

(Lionhead Studios/Electronic Arts for PC)

Everything is hunky-dory in the land of
Eden. That is until you arrive, threatening to change the world into your own
version of utopia. Black and White, from famed designer Peter Molyneux and
Lionhead Studios, is unlike any game before thanks to its open-ended
sandbox-like game design. Amid a sea of sameness on the E3 show floor, we felt
Black and White's unique and thought-provoking design easily broke through the
clutter.- Geoff Keighley
Editor in Chief, GameSlice
Associate Chairman, Game Critics Awards

Runner Up:Sigma (Relic Entertainment/Microsoft for PC)

Best
Game, PC:

Black & White

(Lionhead Studios/Electronic Arts)

Who says that being at three E3s is a
bad thing? This year Black & White jelled into a game that blends established
game concepts with incredible new AI resulting in one breathtaking experience.
In a category brimming with high quality titles that offer the potential for
commercial success to go with their surefire critical acclaim, Peter Molyneux's
latest opus stood head and shoulders above the rest.- Rob Smith
Editor in Chief, PC Gamer
Associate Chairman, Game Critics Awards

Runner
Up:Halo (Bungie Software)

Best
Game, Console:

Jet Grind Radio

(Sega for Dreamcast)

Thanks largely to the lingering presence
of fading consoles and the arrival of a new player, the field for Best Console
Game was considerably more crowded in years past. However, Sega's Jet Grind
Radio still managed to stand out from the crowd with its distinct visual style,
engaging design, spot-on gameplay and an incredible soundtrack. Not too shabby.- Brandon Justice
Editor in Chief, IGNDC

Runner
Up:Conker's Bad Fur Day (Rare
Ltd./Nintendo for Nintendo 64)

Best
Peripheral/Hardware, PC:

nVidia GeForce 2

(nVidia)

PC hardware continues to improve at a
blinding pace, with the fight for the number one spot in the graphics department
being hard fought between two huge clans. With the GeForce 2, nVidia has scored
a decisive hit with a card that packs incredible performance on top of its
established image quality. At E3, GeForce 2 was the best addition to any PC
right now.- Rob Smith
Editor in Chief, PC Gamer
Associate Chairman, Game Critics Awards

Runner
Up:Voodoo 5 5500 (3dfx)

Best
Peripheral/Hardware, Console:

Xbox

(Microsoft)

The nominees in this category were
disparate -- Xbox, Dreamcast, PS2, Dreamcast Maracas, and the Dreamcast Mouse.
But when all is said and done, nothing excites us more than a new console, and
Microsoft's Xbox was simply too cool to ignore. The DVD, networking from the
outset and phenomenal graphics processing not only promise great things, but
also utilize proven, stunning technology. Even more, it offers previously
unheard of ease of use for developers.- Frank O'Connor
Editor in Chief, DailyRadar.com Consoles

Runner
Up:Dreamcast Maracas (Sega)

Best Action
Game:

Halo

(Bungie Software for PC)

Shown to only a select few at E3 '99,
Halo has been building buzz all year long. So it was no wonder that people
waited in line for up to an hour to see game designer and uber-brain Jason Jones
show off the Halo engine and a movie that left every jaw in the room on the
floor. Everyone with a pulse who saw Halo at E3 2000 is feverishly anticipating
its release. We were no exception.- Aaron John Loeb
Chairman, Game Critics Awards

Escape from Monkey Island

(LucasArts Entertainment for PC)

In a surprisingly strong category this
year, LucasArts' fourth Monkey Island game stood head and simian shoulders above
the rest. We couldn't resist the combination of the series' superb sense of
humor, the new 3D graphics, and the overall quality of this title. It's good to
see LucasArts back in the saddle with a top-notch adventure title.- Robert Mayer
Editor, Computer Games Online

Runner
Up:Onimusha Warlords (Capcom for
PlayStation 2)

Best
Fighting Game:

Ultimate Fighting Championship

(Anchor/Crave for Dreamcast)

While many of us were expecting to be
blown away by one of the genre's traditional combatants, the likes of Tekken Tag
Tournament and Dead or Alive 2 never saw the knockout blow coming. Anchor's
Ultimate Fighting Championship surprised us all, as it is clearly on pace to be
one of the most detailed, realistic fighters ever. We can't wait to step into
the ring.- Brandon Justice
Editor in Chief, IGNDC

Runner
Up:Tekken Tag Tournament (Namco for
PlayStation 2)

Best RPG:

Neverwinter Nights

(Bioware/Interplay for PC)

With the renaissance of RPGs, Best RPG
of E3 has been an annual slugathon between some of the year's best titles. This
year Neverwinter Nights takes the laurels, if nothing else for sheer chutzpah.
Placing the world building in the hands of the player, this beautiful AD&D based
game is destined to be the more-addictive-than-crack game of 2001.- Aaron John Loeb
Chairman, Game Critics Awards

Runner
Up:Dungeon Siege (Gas Powered
Games/Microsoft for PC)

Best Racing
Game:

Need for Speed: Motor City

(Electronic Arts for PC)

What could be cooler than boulevard
cruising and drive-in styling in a classic hunk of Detroit iron? Not much; out
of the pack of slick racing games we thought EA's multiplayer hotrod crossed the
finish line first. Great atmosphere, trick looks, and the potential for deeper
online gameplay than most racers give this one the checkered flag.- Robert Mayer
Editor, Computer Games Online

Mechwarrior 4

(Microsoft for PC)

Though the quantity of simulation
offerings was limited, the quality was sky high. In a close contest, MechWarrior
4 received the nod for its incredible style and graphical flair, backed by
shrewd design and control decisions that should ensure even greater success than
its auspicious predecessors. The MechWarrior series is in safe hands, and looks
as though it's just going to keep getting better.- Rob Smith
Editor in Chief, PC Gamer
Associate Chairman, Game Critics Awards

Runner
Up:Freelancer (Digital
Anvil/Microsoft for PC)

Best Sports
Game:

Madden NFL 2001

(Electronic Arts for PlayStation 2)

Madden's debut on the PS2 was easily the
best sports title shown at E3 and was one of the top games of the show, period.
The title features amazing real-life graphics that aren't hindered by the
problems seen in the early Japanese PS2 titles. Expect Madden alone to sell
plenty of PS2s at launch.- Chris Slate
Editor in Chief, 100% Independent PlayStation Magazine

Black & White

(Lionhead Studios/Electronic Arts for PC)

Here's a strategy game where there is no
set path to victory. In Black and White, the story and gameplay change
according to your choices. You'll use a majestic hand cursor to throw elfin
citizens around a world, cast mystical spells, and in a tip of the hat to
Tamagotchi, develop a creature to carry out your ever desire. With so many
layers of gameplay wrapped in a compelling narrative, Black and White does much
to counter the myth that all strategy games have to play the same way.- Geoff Keighley
Editor in Chief, GameSlice
Associate Chairman, Game Critics Awards

Runner
Up:Warcraft III (Blizzard
Entertainment for PC)

Best
Puzzle/Trivia/Parlor Game:

Samba de Amigo

(Sega for Dreamcast)

Perhaps the most fun of all the
categories, the Best Puzzle/Trivia/Parlor category also encompasses the
strangest range of game styles. And perhaps strangest of all was Samba de Amigo,
a brilliant combination of software and hardware -- in the shape of Sega's
proprietary Maracas! The game is also unique in that it's most fun viewed from
the other side of the screen; watching two adults in Maraca combat is priceless.- Frank O'Connor
Editor in Chief, DailyRadar.com Consoles

Runner
Up: Space Channel 5 (Sega for
Dreamcast)

Best Online
Multiplayer:

Neverwinter Nights

(Bioware/Interplay for PC)

Neverwinter Nights deservingly captures
the award for best online game, largely because it fosters online the same type
of intimate gaming experience several friends would share in a pen and paper
session. Bioware's comprehensive and user-friendly game editor will make it easy
for players to create new modules to be shared online. Not to mention stunning
3D graphics, a refined interface and the AD&D third edition rules. This is a
complete, cutting-edge package for online RPG fans.- Tom Russo
Editor in Chief, Next Generation Magazine

Runner
Up:Anarchy Online (Funcom for PC)

Special
Commendation for Graphics:

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

(Konami for PlayStation 2)

If the sight of hundreds of gamers
watching the Metal Gear Solid 2 trailer at E3 didnít convince us this was a
great looking game, we only needed to watch the video ourselves to become
believers. In one scene, hero Snakeís flashlight vignettes the screen while
melons are pummeled with bullets, bursting into millions of particles. Metal
Gear Solid 2's trailer had so much visual panache it felt like an action movie
come to life. We just hope it plays as good as it looks.- Geoff Keighley
Editor in Chief, GameSlice
Associate Chairman, Game Critics Awards

The Game Critics Awards are not associated with or endorsed by the ESA, IDG
or E3 Management